Truss-bridge.



- PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906.

W. J. HUMPHRBYS.

TRUSS BRIDGE.

. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 4, 190a.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TRUSS-BRIDGE.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. HUM- PHREYS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmwood, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Truss-Bridges; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to new and useful improvements in girder or truss bridges.

It has for its object to improve the structure of a truss-bridge shown in patent to Fenn, dated December 4, 1894, No. 530,265, in which I own an interest, my aim being to construct a double-span truss and embodying improvements not covered in the abovesaid patent, being essential to a bridge of this character employing in its structure railway T-rails and connecting parts of castings having bodies conforming to the contour of the body of the rails.

The preferred structural peculiarities of the different parts, the assemblage and disposition of the different parts to act together in the composite body, the bridge, and the combinations forming the subj ectmatter of my im provements, are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a bridge-span,

showing my improvements on a greatly-reduced scale. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section and elevation of the casting for joining the ends of a brace, standard, and a girder. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the parts seen in Fig. 2, but in a line extending vertically through the standard. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail showing the manner of connecting the girlders used in a double truss and the bracero s.

Fi 1 shows in elevation a double truss and is sulTcient, it is thought, to illustrate the improvements in a truss of this character, and it is understood when spanning a stream the parts are duplicated for supporting the opposite side of the bridge and that, if necessary, the parts seen in Fig. 1 may be constructed in pairs and tied together without affecting the principle involved.

The bridge-truss as I now construct it for spanning large streams comprises the girders 1 and 1*, their inner matching ends united in the coupling, casting, or shoe formed of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 4, 1903- Serial No. 183,702.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

plates 2. The girders 1 and 1 consist of the ordinary railway T-rails, placed, preferably, right-side up, as when in railroad use. The plates 2 are cast with grooves and offsets to clamp the faces of the rails and conform to the contour thereof, being bolted together for clamping the rails securely by means of the bolts 3, passing through the web of the rails, as seen in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

Extending up a suitable distance from the inner matching ends of the girders 1 and 1 is an upright or standard 4 of the ordinary T- rail, the lower end united with the ends of sections 1 and 1 in the casting formed of the sections 2, which have the vertical extensions 2, conforming to the face of the rail-standard and bolted together by means of the bolts 5. The casting or plates 2, having the lateral extensions 2, together with the extensions 2", form a substantial T-coupling for the ends of girders 1,1 and standard 4, as seen in the figures.

Intermediate the ends of the girders 1 and 1 or at a point approximately the centers thereof extends upwardly the standards 6 and 7 in every respect similar to the standard 4 and coupled at their lower ends with the girders 1 and 1 by means of castings of duplicate plates 8, having three-way extensions 9 with faces conforming to the facial contour of the girders and bolted together by means of the bolts 10, similar in every respect to the plates 2 described.

United with the standards 6 and 7 are the ends of a truss-beam 1 1 and the ends of bracebeams 12, which are united in a coupling to be described. The center of the truss-beam 11 is united with the upper end of the center standard 4 in a coupling or casting formed of the plates 13, having three-way extensions 14 with faces conforming to the facial contour of the standard and truss-beam and bolted together by means of the bolts 15. The truss-beam and brace-beams are preferably placed upside down and the standards placed so as to have the tread of the rails directed inwardly. Y

To couple the standards 6 and 7 with the truss-beam 11 and brace-beams 12, I have provided the casting 16, formed of the plates 17, adapted to engage opposite faces of standards and beams and bolted together. The

plates 17 are each provided with the central bodies 18, having matching faces which abut or are contiguous when put together and the diagonally semicircular depression 19 when placed together forming an elongated tubular opening, through which is carried a brace or suspension rod 20, the function of which will be further described. Extending horizontally from the bodies 18 to couple with the end of the beam 11 are the extensions 21. Extending vertically downwardly therefrom are the extensions 22 to couple with the standards 6 or 7, and extending diagonally (lOWIl'WZlTdlY therefrom the extensions 23 to couple with the upper end of the brace-beams 12. The extensions 21, 22, and 23 of the bodies 18 have the offset portions 24, conforming to the contour of the web of the trussbeam, standard, and brace-beam, which, as understood, are all of T railway-rails and when together form a groove into which the beams and standards may be inserted, as the castings 16 may be, as shown, of duplicate plates or in one piece. It is preferable .to cast the same in two pieces, owing to their peculiar formation and for ease in assembling. The bodies are shown in section in Fig. 2 for convenience. The extensions 21, 22, and 23 are bolted together after the beams and standard are assembled by the bolts 25, which pass through the webs of the rails, and the bodies 18 bolted together, as at 26, for securely fastening the parts.

The suspension-rod 20 is provided with the turnbuckles 27 and extends from casting 16 at one end of the truss-beam 11 to the other end thereof, passing down and around a centrally disposed transversely arranged truss-beam 28, situated beneath the casting 2 and the inner matching ends of the girders 1 and 1 the ends of the rod. 20 passing through elongated tubular opening 19 in the bodies 18 of the castings 16 and the plates 2O engaging ofl'set faces of the castings 16 and having nuts 20 secured on the ends of said rod for the purposes apparent.

29 indicates supplemental truss-beam beneath the girders 1 and 1 at a point beneath the standards 6 and 7, and the girders 1 and 1, together with the truss-beam 11, are braced by the tie-rods 30, passing through plates 31 and 32, with lock-nuts engaging the outer ends thereof.

The ends of the girders 1 and 1 and the lower ends of the brace-beams 12 are coupled in shoes 33, conforming to the face of the rails and bolted together, as at 341. The ends of the truss rest on tie-beams or mud-sills 35,

which in turn may rest on a suitable abutment or suitable standards, in which event the ends of the truss would be ties to the truss-beam 35 by the eyebolts 36, passing through the plates 39 and the upper flanged heads of the standards 38.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A bridge structure comprising longitudinal girders, transverse truss-beams supporting the same, standards rising from the girders, truss beams overlying the girders, and brace-beams extending from the trussbeams in combination with couplings uniting said standards, truss-beams and bracebeams, each of said couplings comprising duplicate members arranged to abut and formed with an extended portion to receive and snugly engage one side face of each of the truss-beams, standards and brace-beams, and means for connecting the members of the coupling to each other and with said standards, truss-beams and brace-beams.

2. A bridge structure comprising longitudinal girders, transverse truss-beams supporting the same, standards rising from the girders, truss-bearns overlying the girders, and brace-beams extending from the trussbeams in combination with couplings uniting said standards, truss-beams and bracebeams, each of said couplings comprising duplicate members arranged to abut and formed with an extended portion to receive and snugly engage one side face of each of the truss-beams, standards and brace-beams, each member of said coupling being formed with a semicircular recess providing when the members are assembled an opening through the coupling, a suspension-rod secured in said opening, and means for connecting the members of the coupling with each other and with said standards, trussbeams and brace-beams.

3. A bridge structure comprising a supporting-girder, transverse truss-beams underlying the same, a truss-beam above the girder, a standard intermediate the girder and truss-beam, and a brace-beam extending from said truss-beam, in combination with a coupling to unite said standard, truss-beam, and brace-beam, said coupling comprising a body portion formed with a diagonal opening, said body portion having a plurality of extensions, each of said extensions being recessed to receiveand conform to the ends of the truss-beam, standard and brace-beam, a suspension-rod longitudinally adjustable in the opening in the coupling and means for securing the coupling to said truss-beam, standard and brace-beam.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. HUMPHREYS.

WVitnesses:

HARRY SonENoK, A. J. MCFARLAND.

IIC 

